Integrated fall protection and safety strap

ABSTRACT

An integrated fall protection safety strap device comprises a conventional climbing strap apparatus and a modified secondary positioning lanyard permanently attached to the one side of the climbing strap apparatus. When in use, with one end of the secondary positioning lanyard secured to one of the body belt attachment members of the climbing strap apparatus, the secondary positioning lanyard is generally carried as an attachment to the climbing strap apparatus. When a secondary safety is needed to pass an obstacle on a pole being climbed, the user can then encircle the pole with the secondary positioning lanyard and, as the body belt attachment member of the climbing strap apparatus to which the secondary positioning lanyard is not permanently attached is disengaged from the body belt, secure the end of the secondary positioning lanyard to the body belt at the same location from which the climbing strap apparatus was disengaged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a torso harness for climbing and, more particularly, to an integrated wood pole fall protection system and auxiliary safety strap.

2. Description of the Prior Art

It is well established that climbing wooden poles to work on electrical wires or other mounted devices can be dangerous, mainly due to the risk of falling. The use and design of conventional fall protection devices for pole climbing is well known. A problem which still exists, however, is that conventional fall protection devices, even when used with conventional discrete secondary positioning, typically are not optimized for preventing falls as a user passes obstacles while climbing. Indeed, with conventional fall protection devices, a user is often required to unhook a primary safety and latch a secondary safety while passing an obstacle on the pole. Thus, there remains a need for an integrated fall protection and safety strap device which includes a secondary safety that is permanently attached to the primary safety. It would be helpful if such an integrated fall protection and safety strap device provided increased stopping power relative to convention an integrated fall protection devices. It would be additionally desirable for such an integrated fall protection and safety strap device to make snap adjustments easier in order to reduce strap adjustment errors.

The Applicant's invention described herein provides for an integrated fall protection and safety strap device adapted to integrate the primary and secondary safety. The primary components in Applicant's integrated fall protection and safety strap device are a Bucksqueeze™ style climbing strap apparatus, an accompanying Buckadjuster™ style positioning lanyard, an attachment ring, and an attachment snap hook. When in operation, the integrated fall protection and safety strap device provides enhanced fall protection, particularly while passing obstacles on a pole. As a result, many of the limitations imposed by prior art structures are removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An integrated fall protection and safety strap device for allowing operation of both a primary and secondary securing mechanism from a single composite apparatus. The integrated fall protection and safety strap device comprises a conventional climbing strap apparatus and a modified secondary positioning lanyard permanently attached to the one side of the climbing strap apparatus. When in use, with one end of the secondary positioning lanyard, secured to one of the body belt attachment members of the climbing strap apparatus, a user can simply carry the secondary positioning lanyard while climbing using the primary safety mechanism of the climbing strap apparatus as normal. When a secondary safety is needed to pass an obstacle on a pole being climbed, the user can then encircle the pole with the secondary positioning lanyard and, as the body belt attachment member of the climbing strap apparatus to which the secondary positioning lanyard is not permanently attached is disengaged from the body belt, secure the end of the secondary positioning lanyard to the body belt at the same location from which the climbing strap apparatus was disengaged.

It is an object of this invention to provide an integrated fall protection and safety strap device which includes a secondary safety that is permanently attached to the primary safety.

It is another object of this invention to provide an integrated fall protection and safety strap device that provides increased stopping power relative to convention an integrated fall protection devices.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an integrated fall protection and safety strap device that makes snap adjustments easier in order to reduce strap adjustment errors.

These and other objects will be apparent to one of skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an integrated fall protection and safety strap device built in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a modified positioning lanyard of an integrated fall protection and safety strap device built in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, an integrated fall protection and safety strap device 10 is shown having a conventional climbing strap apparatus 11 and a modified positioning lanyard 12. In one embodiment, the conventional climbing strap apparatus 11 defines a Bucksqueeze™ style climbing strap apparatus that includes two locking snap hooks 13 disposed on its opposing end. It is contemplated that alternate climbing strap apparatus may be employed with the integrated fall protection and safety strap device 10 provided they are adapted to attach to a lineman's body belt. Similarly, it is understood that fastening structures other than snap hooks may be employed by the climbing strap apparatus 11 in use.

The modified positioning lanyard 12 defines a secondary positioning member that has a permanent attachment member at one end and a releasable attachment member at the other end. In the preferred embodiment, the secondary positioning member is constructed of conventional materials for a secondary positioning lanyard, the permanent attachment member defines an attachment ring 14, and the releasable attachment member defines an attachment snap hook 15. It is contemplated, however, that the permanent attachment member and releasable attachment member may define alternate permanent and selectively releasable attachment apparatus, respectively.

When the integrated fall protection and safety strap device 10 in use, the attachment ring 14 is secured to one of the snap hooks 13, thereby permanently attaching the modified positioning lanyard 12 at one end to the climbing strap apparatus 11 at one end. Until secondary safety is needed to pass an obstacle on a pole being climbed, the attachment snap hook 15 remains unhooked, thereby enabling the user to simply keep the modified positioning lanyard 12 over his shoulder or otherwise out of the way of climbing. When secondary safety is required, the user can then encircle the pole with the modified positioning lanyard 12 and, as the snap hook 13 to which the modified positioning lanyard 12 is not permanently attached is disengaged from the body belt, the attachment snap hook 15 is releasably attached to the body belt at the same location from which the disengaged snap hook 13 was removed. Advantageously, this process enables a user to never lose track of the primary or secondary securing mechanisms while alleviating the need for a user to separately carry a secondary securing mechanism.

It is contemplated that the modified positioning lanyard 12 made define an adjustable positioning lanyard that includes a conventional length adjusting device (not shown).

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. 

1. An integrated fall protection and safety strap device, comprising: a climbing strap apparatus having a first strap attachment end and a second strap attachment end, wherein said first strap attachment end and second strap attachment end configure the climbing strap apparatus to attach to a body belt for climbing poles; an auxiliary positioning apparatus defining an elongated member having a first terminal end and a second terminal end; and wherein said auxiliary secondary positioning apparatus is configured to permanently attach to said first strap attachment end at the first terminal end and said second terminal end includes an attachment member configured to enable to the second terminal end to attach to the body belt for climbing poles at the same location as the second strap attachment end.
 2. The integrated fall protection and safety strap device of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary positioning apparatus is configured to permanently attach to said first strap snap hook at the first terminal end through an attachment ring.
 3. The integrated fall protection and safety strap device of claim 1, wherein said attachment member defines a snap hook.
 4. A method of employing an integrated fall protection and safety strap device to climb past obstacles on a pole, comprising the steps of: providing a conventional climbing strap apparatus and secondary positioning apparatus; said climbing strap apparatus having a first body belt attachment member and a second body belt attachment member, wherein said first body belt attachment member and second body belt attachment member configure the climbing strap apparatus to attach to a conventional body belt for climbing poles; and said secondary positioning apparatus defining an elongated member having a first terminal end permanently attached to the first body belt attachment member and a second terminal end having a secondary attachment member; disengaging the second body belt attachment member from a conventional body belt worn by a user; and attaching the second terminal end to the conventional body belt at the location from which the second body belt attachment member was removed.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said secondary positioning apparatus is permanently attached to said first body belt attachment member at the first terminal end by an attachment ring.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein said secondary attachment member defines a snap hook. 